


Thousands Of Feet Of The Ground

by IveGotRedHair



Category: All Time Low
Genre: Coughing, Fever, M/M, Prompt Fill, Sickfic, Sneezing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-02-25
Packaged: 2018-05-23 06:04:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6107374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IveGotRedHair/pseuds/IveGotRedHair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A nine hour flight with the flu is not Alex's idea of fun, but at least he has Jack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thousands Of Feet Of The Ground

For Jack touring was the best thing in the world. He’d never get tired of travelling the world, seeing new places, new people and playing shows. Just for the feeling of stepping out onto the stage and the power of the crowd in front of him, it never got old.  
The only thing Jack didn’t love about touring was the constant flying or more the constant airport waiting rooms. They’d just finished a kickass tour in the UK and were sat at Heathrow airport waiting for their plane home. Jack was sat staring at his phone, counting down the minutes till they could board, the other guys were either trying to sleep on the hard plastic chairs or the floor. All expect Alex who was sat beside him trying not to cough out a lung. Over the years it had become a bit of tradition that whenever they were in the UK that Alex got sick, you’d think that someone born in the country but would have some immunity to their germs but apparently not.   
“You okay?” Jack asked, patting Alex’s back.   
Alex nodded  
”How long left?” he asked, his voice shot to hell.   
“Only about half an hour,” Jack replied.   
Alex just closed his eyes and slumped down his his seat. Jack couldn’t help but feel bad for him, he’d come down with what was an awful flu bug nearing two days previously. He’d only just made it through the last show of the tour without passing out; and he still had a nine hour flight to go before he could sleep in his own bed. 

Eventually the time passed and the band and crew were able to board the plane. It was a hassle of passports, tickets and bags but finally they made it to their seats. Jack was originally suppose to be sitting next to Zack but he traded with their tour manager so he could be with Alex.   
“Hey, how’re you doing?” he asked, sitting down in the ale seat.   
“Alright,” Alex coughed. “I thought Brian was sitting with me.”   
“I switched with him, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”   
“Thanks,” Alex smiled.   
“No problem.”   
As the plane got ready to take off Jack watched Alex close his eyes, trying desperately to ignore the roaring of the engines in favour of sleep. He knew for a fact Alex had barely slept the night before, he’d heard him coughing through the hotels walls for most of the night. Alex just curled up in his seat and closed his eyes. Jack wished there was something he could do to comfort his friend, planes weren’t the best for sleeping on but it made do. 

Alex slept through the first few hours, only occasionally coughing in his sleep. He woke up when Jack was half way through watching his third episode of Breaking Bad, he groaned before turning away and coughing. Jack was right there, patting his back until he could breathe again.   
“God this is awful,” Alex moaned, running a hand over his aching chest.   
“Not feeling any better then?” Jack asked.   
Alex shook his head and pressed his hands to his head.   
“Can I get you anything?” Jack asked, frowning.   
He hated seeing Alex so miserable, he was pale, his hair messy and sticking out from under his beanie, dark marks beneath his eyes from lack of sleep and missing their usual sparkle.   
“A body that works?” Alex asked before coughing harshly into his arm.   
Jack continued rubbing his back as he asked for a stewardess fro bring them a bottle of water. She returned with the water, giving Alex a slightly disgusted look, Jack just ignored her and passed Alex the drink.   
“Thanks,” he croaked once he was able to talk again, his throat sore and voice almost gone.   
“No problem, are you sure I can’t get you anything?” Jack asked, putting his hand to the old man’s forehead.   
“You’re really warm.”   
“That explains why it feels like the Arctic in here,” Alex replied miserably, shivering in his thick hoodie.   
Jack frowned and pulled the blanket out from under his seat and wrapped it around Alex. He smiled gratefully and pulled it around his shoulders as Jack got out his medicine. Handing him two small pills and the rest of the water. Alex takes them, wincing as the pills irritate his sore throat. Jack smiled slightly as Alex curled up in his seat, tucking a loose bit of the blanket around him, he knew all too well how bad being ill on the road could be and he wished there was something more he could do.   
As Alex tried to sleep Jack went back to watching Breaking Bad, except he couldn’t seem to get into it. His mind kept wandering back to Alex, who was tossing and turning in his seat. He couldn’t get comfortable and any time he did he was interrupted by a cough or sneeze. Alex groaned and sat up.   
“What’s up ‘Lex?” Jack asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.   
“Can’t sleep,” Alex replied miserably.  
Jack frowned and reached over to put his arm around Alex’s shoulders, pulling him as close as the seats would let him. Alex ended up with his head on Jack’s shoulder, one arm over Jack’s chest and the blanket now over both of them.   
“Better?” Jack asked.   
Alex simply nodded, coughing weakly before closing his eyes. 

When Jack woke up it was dark, at least dark as it got on a plane. He knew they were due to land in the early morning so there couldn’t be too much longer to go. He relaxed until he realised Alex was no longer sleeping on his chest, he was in fact curled up in his seat, staring out of the window into the darkness.   
“‘Lex?”   
“Oh I didn’t realise you were awake.”  
“Just woke up, are you okay?” Jack asked.   
Alex shrugged and continued staring out the window.   
“Did you have a bad dream?” Jack asked, he knew it wasn’t uncommon for Alex to have nightmares when he was unwell.   
Alex nodded and Jack saw the tears in his eyes.   
“Come here,” Jack offered, opening his arms.   
Alex ended up curled up in his lap, kind of like a cat. The blanket was wrapped around the both of them, Jack acting like a heater to keep Alex’s chills at bay. Alex’s head rested on Jack’s chest, Jack’s hand combing through his hair, trying to sooth him enough to get to sleep.   
“Jack?” Alex asked, his voice thick with sleep.   
Jack just hummed to reply.   
“Thank you.”   
Jack smiled and continued playing with Alex hair until they both fell asleep.   
They ended up staying like for the rest of the flight, not untangling themselves till the plane was on the ground. Finally they’d made it.   
It took what seemed like forever to get everyone and all their stuff through security, it took extra time to convince them that Alex was not on drugs was in fact just sick. By the time they’d made it out, Alex was burning up, shaking and barely able to stand on his own. Jack waved a quick goodbye to everyone before putting Alex in a taxi, giving the man Alex’s address and hoping in beside him.   
Alex ended up falling asleep on the ride to his house, Jack carried him inside, taking him straight to his bed. He was just going to tuck him in a leave, he was pretty desperate for his own bed when Alex woke up.   
“Where am I?” Alex asked, groggily.   
“You’re home, in your own bed,” Jack replied.   
Alex smiled.   
“Are you going?” he asked.   
Jack looked down at his best friend, despite how tired he was, how much he wanted his own home he could never deny him.   
“Not if you don’t want me to.”   
Alex smiled again as he pulled back the duvet, patting the bed beside him. As Jack climbed in beside Alex, the singer cuddled up against him, wrapping his arms around Jack’s waist and head resting on his shoulder. Laying there with Alex in his bed, it may not have been his own but there was no where always that felt as much like home.

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya!  
> This was a lovely prompt by BrokenStereo13, I'm sorry it took so long!   
> I hope you like it :)   
> As always thanks for reading xx


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